The Waking Up App is a Wonderful Way to Learn Mindfulness
Sam Harris is one of the most influential intellectuals I follow online. His podcast, Making Sense, features interviews with smart people who have impressive credentials on various topics. His interviewing style, combined with his own knowledge and the expertise of his guests, creates a wonderful learning experience that I cherish.
His main professional project, however, is a meditation app called Waking Up. As an early supporter of his podcast, I received a lifelong membership to the app. I'm not sure this was advantageous, as I delayed making a serious effort to utilize the app for years. Recently, I decided to give it another try and was impressed by his approach to teaching mindfulness.
The app is well-designed and aesthetically pleasing. The introductory course blends explanations with short meditation exercises. Sam is a master of language, and his explanations regarding the benefits of meditation are some of the clearest and most persuasive I've encountered. As a secular and scientific individual, he avoids religious or spiritual justifications, focusing instead on training the brain as one would train the body.
I highly recommend giving it a serious try. The app has a price tag (20 USD/month, or 10 USD/month for a full year's subscription), but it's available for free if the cost is in the way. I suggest paying and - if you regret the purchase - asking for a refund, as they have a no-questions-asked policy. I continue to pay for access to the podcast and have never regretted it.
Our minds are all we have. They are all we have ever had. And they are all we can offer others. This might not be obvious, especially when there are aspects of your life that seem in need of improvement--when your goals are unrealized, or you are struggling to find a career, or you have relationships that need repairing. But it's the truth. Every experience you have ever had has been shaped by your mind. Every relationship is as good or as bad as it is because of the minds involved. If you are perpetually angry, depressed, confused, and unloving, or your attention is elsewhere, it won't matter how successful you become or who is in your life--you won't enjoy any of it." — Sam Harris from his Waking Up book